Still: One more player to arrive

Jim Cliff

Luton Town manager John Still has confirmed he will be making one more signing before the start of the season but revealed that it won’t be Angelo Balanta.

The 24-year-old winger, who was released by QPR at the start of July after seven years at Loftus Road, impressed as a Hatters trialist in Tuesday’s 2-2 pre-season draw with League One outfit Colchester United.

Still had indicated on Saturday that his summer shopping spree could conclude with the signing of a young wide man and though he confirmed that deal is imminent it will not see free agent Balanta join the club.

“That will happen in the next few days,” the Town boss said about adding his tenth new recruit of the off-season. He wouldn’t reveal the player’s identity to Herald & Post but added: “It’s one for that young group. It’s not Angelo.”

On the run-out for the former Rs man, who has been sent on several loans with MK Dons, Wycombe Wanderers and Yeovil, Still said: “I know him from QPR. He hasn’t got himself sorted yet so I thought we’d just bring him in.

“We knew he was never going to be up to the fitness levels but it helped us to put two teams out as well, just to have a little bit of balance on the left hand side.

“It wasn’t anything that was on my mind.”

Still took charge of one team at Kenilworth Road, while at the same time on Tuesday night another Hatters side drew 0-0 at Conference South side Boreham Wood.

Both had a mixture of senior and younger players with a view to handing 90 minutes to as many players as possible ahead of Saturday’s final pre-season game at home to Peterborough and the campaign curtain-raiser at Carlisle on August 9.

But on the selections for the two teams, the manager said: “There was no method. It was just looking at combinations. Terry Harris was there (at Boreham Wood) but I’ll get the DVD of that and that will help me to pick a team for Saturday.

“To be fair to Colchester, they’ve played lots of games and got a lot of match fitness.

“They were a little bit sharper early on but once we got going, Jim Stevenson and Matt Robinson in midfield did really well. I was just really pleased all round.”

Two big bonuses on a pleasing night against Colchester were the second half introductions of previously injured Jonathan Smith and Luke Guttridge.

The latter scored with his first touch to earn Luton a draw after Mark Cullen had put them in front, only to see the U’s score twice either side of half time.

Still said of the pair: “They probably won’t make the start of the season, but they’re right on it now .”